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Phi Chess with Different Armies. Missing description (13x8, Cells: 104) [All Comments] [Add Comment or Rating]

Larry Smith wrote on Mon, Jul 18, 2005 11:23 AM UTC:Excellent ★★★★★

Since each player is allowed to choose their army, under pre-determined
restrictions, they would be entering these games with what they thought
would be their best chance at these games.  The recommended restrictions
are quite restrictive, others may opt for a little more lee-way.

Generating those armies would be a great source of conversation between
the players.  How many simple sliders, how many leapers, how may
leaper-sliders, how many compound sliders or leapers, etc.  Given that
there are 12 potential pieces(not including Pawns), players might opt for
pairs and have six different types.  But what would restrict them from
having twelve different pieces?  Nothing, if they both agreed.

Another way to restrict the pieces would be to make a limited list of
particular forms of movement, such as orthogonal slide, camel leap,
diagonal step, etc.  Then build the desired pieces from this list, under a
pre-determined limitation for the various combinations.  There could also
be the restriction of a single move-type allowed for a single piece-type. 
In other words, once a move-type was selected for one piece it could not be
assigned to another.

Even after the generation of pieces, there is the initial set-up patterns.
 What restrictions might be applied, and would there really be a
necessity?

And what about the additional application of other rules, such as drops,
spawning, shooting, etc.  Their impact on these games staggers the mind.

The potential for these games is astronomical.  And I doubt very seriously
that anyone would ever be able to properly quantify them all in their
lifetime.